Conference of Dialogue on Asian Civilizations to usher in new era for cultural diversity

A member from a BRI delegation learns Chinese calligraphy at a Chinese social community, May 9, 2019. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

The Conference of Dialogue on Asian Civilizations (CDAC) scheduled on May 15 in Beijing will usher in a new era in which the diversity of civilizations is appreciated. Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony and attend related activities of the event which is themed with “exchanges and mutual learning among Asian civilizations and a community with a shared future”. The conference is a new major diplomatic event to be held by China this year after the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and Expo Beijing 2019.

The conference will gather guests from around the globe to promote the development of Asian civilizations. It will be attended by multiple foreign leaders and heads of international organizations. Over 2,000 government officials and representatives of cultural circles from 47 Asian countries and other countries will be present. The conference has received wide praise from the parties concerned. It will inherit and promote the civilizations of Asia and the world at large, said a foreign expert, who expects the event to offer a golden opportunity for inspiring innovative thinking, and Asia and Europe to further increase exchanges and cooperation. Such remarks revealed the common aspiration of the world to protect the diversity of civilizations and promote mutual learning among civilizations. Boasting long history and colorful cultures, Asian countries have made a huge contribution to the development of world civilization.

Asian civilizations, from the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers to the Indus and the Ganges, and from the Euphrates to the Tigris River, have left a splendid picture in the history of human civilizations. The development of Asian civilizations has proved that civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. China believes civilizations have come in different colors, and are equal and inclusive, and holds that countries should replace estrangement with exchange, clashes with mutual learning, and superiority with coexistence. There’s an old saying in China that delicious soup is made by combining different ingredients. Chinese wisdom is offering new perspectives and solutions for the development and prosperity of Asian and world civilizations. China is both an advocate and pursuer of mutual learning among civilizations. In recent years, President Xi has reiterated on multiple important international occasions that different civilizations should draw on each other’s strength and achieve common progress, which reflects the sense of responsibility and the profound thought of the Chinese leader on the progress of human civilization.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China, aiming to promote people-to-people connectivity among the countries, has implemented a series of cultural exchange mechanisms and platforms in all aspects. It will make the cultural exchange diverse, interactive and broad-based. A foreign expert said that the CDAC will establish a platform for mutual learning among civilizations and common development, giving stronger impetus to the development and prosperity of human civilizations. What he said is also the original aspiration of China to share the development and prosperity with Asia and the world. Inclusiveness and mutual learning are of vital importance to build a community with a shared future for mankind. The CDAC, gathering worldwide representatives for the discussion of Asian civilizations and win-win cooperation, is bound to further promote the development of civilizations and the building of a community with a shared future of mankind.

(Zhong Sheng, a homonym in Chinese for “voice of China”, is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

By Zhong Sheng

(People’s Daily)